Digital Duality
by EpicArch
Summary: What if Xion learned about the events that would befall her? What if the source of this knowledge was a decidedly popular video game? Xion-centered with Rokushi elements.
1. A new world?

**A.N. - This is my first fanfiction! Be sure to leave a review as they will really help me improve my writing. **

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Wal-mart, Nintendo, or anything else besides the characters Tommy and Max (though it'd be rad if I did).**

* * *

"You will be sent to a new world today to perform recon."

It was early morning in The World That Never Was, although the sky would tell one different. Sunlight never graced the buildings of this cold world. Stars shone in the perpetual night, but they were meager compared to the luster of a certain heart-shaped moon. Kingdom Hearts, a massive crystallized gathering of collected hearts, hung, unwavering, above the world of the Nobodies.

It's soft light filtered through the tall windows of The Grey Area, illuminating the room. It was empty, save for two black-clad figures, wrapped in standard-issue Organization cloaks. The imposing, blue-haired man with hard, uncaring eyes towered over the much younger and innocent-looking ravenette.

"Depart as soon as you are ready," Saix said, monotone. He glared sharply at Xion. "Do not fail us, puppet."

* * *

As Xion stepped through the Corridor of Darkness and was whisked away to her destination, something occurred to her. She had left so early that she hadn't gotten to see Roxas and Axel.

_Damn, _she thought. _I really wanted to talk to them this morning._

It wasn't necessarily her fault for leaving so early. She had found that she'd woken up after another odd dream and could not go back to sleep. She'd tried to sneak to Roxas's room to see if he too was afflicted with insomnia, but Saix was already on the prowl. 'If you're already awake, you will make yourself useful,' he had said.

There was little time to reflect, however, because she was soon deposited on a well-lit sidewalk. Xion hadn't thought to ask Saix what world he was sending her too, but it appeared to be rather quiet.

The sun had not yet risen, but the faintest traces of it glowed in the eastern sky. Unfamiliar groups of stars floated overhead, partially obscured by patches of clouds.

Xion found that she had landed in a rather quaint, well-to-do, neighborhood, not unlike one of Twilight Town, but with shorter houses and bigger yards. She made her way down the street, searching the area for any signs of movement. There were none.

With neither Heartless nor residents out and about, Xion took the time to open her mission brief and become acquainted with the information it contained.

The initial report claimed that the Heartless population was surprisingly low and that there were over six billion inhabitants.

_So many people! And such an odd name, _Xion smirked as she read the world's name. _Earth._

She decided that she liked the sound of the word. It rolled off the tongue well, almost as well as Twilight Town, Roxas, or sea-salt ice cream. She looked over the rest of the document.

Xion's job was just made substantially easier. It contained various additional facts collected by the first member to have set foot in the world.

'Inhabitants choose to operate "vehicles" on roads to cover large distances'

'Inhabitants are generally untrusting of strangers, with a few exceptions'

'Munny appears to have great value in this world'

'Organization cloaks appear to draw curious stares from inhabitants. It is best to ignore them.'

'Threatening gestures are heavily frowned upon.'

'A certain shop called "Wal-mart" is a good location to collect observations'

As Xion read the last of the facts, she wondered who it was that discovered this world.

It certainly wasn't Demyx; the notes were too competent. Axel and Roxas would have mentioned a new world to her. Saix and Xemnas didn't go on missions. It wasn't specific enough to be Vexen, and she could assume that the Nobody didn't have any strikingly odd features, eliminating Xigbar, Xaldin, and Marluxia. There weren't constant references to gambling, and the notes weren't angry, so Luxord and Larxene were also out. She figured it was a bit too wordy for it to have been Lexaeus. That left Zexion.

_Zexion… I'll have to thank him for the notes. _It was a big help during recon to have good information to start with. It made the whole experience feel a little less like wallowing around in the dark.

The glow in the east was rapidly strengthening as Xion closed her mission brief and set out to find this 'Wal-mart.' Most of the town was still asleep, but signs of life began to appear as she wandered the streets.

Xion had covered considerable ground, but she still found herself among the sea of houses that was a typical suburb. How could there be so many people living in one area? It boggled her mind that she had most likely passed by more houses in her short time there than there were in all of Twilight Town. Six **billion** people lived on this world. How could one even fathom so ma-

VROOOMM!

Xion let out a squeak-gasp and whirled around in alarm at the sudden noise. She was surprised to find a large metal contraption on black wheels passing by on the road. After nearly summoning her Keyblade, she realized that it was simply one of those 'vehicles' that the mission brief had noted.

She laughed inwardly at her own reaction before continuing her journey in search of valuable information.

Not long after, she came upon a rather large building on the horizon. It stretched rather far to each side and had multiple entrances. In front stood a vast expanse of concrete painted with colorful lines. A few vehicles were parked here, and people could be seen walking to and from them. Above the largest, and most certainly the main, entrance hung a huge, lighted sign that proudly said 'Wal-mart.' Xion found her target.

As she cautiously moved about the store, hoping not to draw too much attention, she was constantly surprised by her surroundings. Colorful packages and boxes lined the endless rows of shelves. She saw foods that she never knew existed and various clothing that made her grateful that she wore the Coat. They were far too bright and - she'd go so far as to say - thin for her taste.

Zexion (she'd settled on the idea that he was the one who wrote the notes) was right about Wal-mart being a great place to observe the local population.. Xion observed some very interesting characters that included but were not limited to a man who wore shorts that were far too short for his own good and a woman who suspiciously milled about, glancing nervously over her shoulder as she inspected electronics.

In one corner of the store she had almost summoned her Keyblade when she heard a small child scream. She rushed to the source only to find that the child was throwing a tantrum over a toy, not being mauled by Heartless.

_This is going to be one hell of a report, _she thought before closing her eyes, lowering her head, and smiling to herself. _With this much information, Saix can't possibly complain ._

Xion looked up and was about to make her way out of the store when she noticed something odd. Frankly, it was more than odd because **it was a large poster of herself.** More specifically, it was a poster of herself, Roxas, Axel, the imposter, and some human-mouse thing in an Organization cloak.

She let out a gasp and staggered backwards, eyes widening substantially. _What...is this? How does this even exist?!_ She scanned the poster, seeking answers. The one line of text it contained served only to deepen her confusion.

'Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days only available on Nintendo DS'

Xion didn't know what that meant. How could she know what it meant? It said Kingdom Hearts, that much she knew...but what did 358/2 Days mean? What was a Nintendo DS?

She stood there, staring at this impossible rendition of the sea-salt trio, for a long time, attempting to unravel its mysteries. Whether it was because of her striking resemblance to herself or the fact that she'd been standing there far too long, someone took notice of her.

"Well then, another KH fan I presume?"

Xion jumped at the sudden voice before turning to see who it was that just addressed her. Next to her, but not uncomfortably close to her, stood a kid with messy brown hair who was not much younger or smaller than she was. His light brown eyes seemed to glow with amusement at her startled reaction.

"Wha? I.." was all she managed to get out. The situation was simply too strange for her to have any sort of coherent response.

"Ah ah, say no more. Of course you are. Why else would you be cosplaying? And with such attention to detail too," he mused as he looked her over. "Great use of material for the coat."

"Uh, thanks?" she hazarded, still oblivious to what he was talking about.

He forged on with the conversation, not noticing her complete confusion. "So, who's your favorite Organization member?"

How? How did this unassuming kid know about the Organization? "Um...Roxas?"

"Oh, he's cool. A bit too zombie-like for me though. I prefer the more expressive ones like Vexen or Demyx." He stuck out his hand. "My name's Tommy, what's yours?"

She hesitantly met his handshake. "My name…" _Should I tell him the truth or should I lie?_ On one hand, she didn't like to lie to people, but on the other, the Organization members had to remain covert. _What's the harm?_

"I'm Xion," she replied, forcing a small smile.

The boy simply laughed. "I knew that!" Then, he sighed contently. "Such a good cosplay." His mind seemed to wander for a moment before immediately returning. "Oh I know what you'll like since Roxas is your favorite member!"

He gestured to the poster that had dumbfounded Xion previously. "This is the new Kingdom Hearts game that came out recently. You get to play as Roxas through the **whole **game since it's about him in the Organization." He beamed as he told her this, excited about the new game. Then, his face fell slightly. "But you can only play it on the DS. You know, that video game system? I don't have enough money to buy one yet."

Well that explained a lot. At least Xion knew what the poster was about. It was still extremely weird to think that she and her closest friends could be in a video game in this world. Maybe she'd have to try it…

"Well, I have to go now. It was nice meeting you!" With that, Tommy ran off, no doubt in search of his parents.

Alone with her thoughts again, Xion's eyes wandered back over the poster. _A whole game about Roxas and the Organization huh? _She decided then and there that she must play this game. _It should be...interesting._

With a smile on her face she began to browse the selection of DS systems that were in stock. After a minute of searching and contemplating, she decided on one that was as black as her cloak. DS in hand, along with a copy of the game, she wandered off to find a cashier.

* * *

_Man, I hate working mornings, _Max thought as he rubbed his tired eyes. Even with coffee, he was still groggy at best. _It's always soooo dull. I could still be asleep right now._

He looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone in the electronics section at the moment besides two kids who were talking about some poster. With nothing to do, it would be easy to get some shut-eye. _What's the worst that could happen._

He laid his head down on his arms, allowing sleep to rush at him like a tidal wave. If there was one advantage about working early mornings in Wal-mart, it was that he hardly had to do any real work.

No more than a few minutes passed before a small voice and a gentle poke woke him up.

"Uh, excuse me…" the delicate voice said.

Somewhat annoyed that he couldn't catch any more proverbial Zs than he did, he groaned and looked up at what was sure to be a customer. His gaze was met by a young girl who was the absolute spitting image of the girl that was on the box of the video game she was holding.

It was a bit surprising, seeing how closely they resembled each other, but he rationalized it in a way he found amusing. _Oh, a cosplayer. Bless her heart._

She was looking a bit uncertainly at him, as if she was nervous about talking to him. It was a sight that made him realize how very unprofessional he was being.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," he apologized as he straightened up. "I'm very tired, forgive my behavior." Max glanced at the items she was holding. A knowing smile crossed his face. "Ahhh, another fan of Kingdom Hearts eh?"

"Yes, it's very important to our Organization so we can get hearts of our own." She then visibly flinched, as if she said something that she was never supposed to say. The girl looked down as she set a Nintendo DS and a copy of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on the check-out counter.

_Oh god cosplayers are adorable. So into character…_ He chuckled as he scanned the items and put them into a plastic bag. "So, are you excited about playing as Roxas and getting to know the Organization better?"

That brightened her up. "Yeah! It'll be really fun to play as my best friend, but I think I already know the Organization as well as I'd like." She sounded so sincere.

He laughed again. "Oh, you're so dedicated. Tell me, what's your name?"

"It's Xion." She looked a bit confused as to why he was laughing.

He only laughed louder. "Haha! Of course you are!" He took a moment to compose himself. "Okay, your total will be $198.76."

The girl rummaged around in her coat pockets until she pulled out a** huge freaking chunk of gold** and handed it to Max. "Is this enough? I don't know how much Munny I need in this world."

He couldn't believe his eyes. He was just a lowly cashier at a typical Wal-mart in a quiet town, but he had just been handed a huge ball of polished gold by a young teenage girl. He could see his reflection in it. He felt faint. "Yeah...that's...enough," he managed.

"Thank you," the girl replied with a smile. "You seem nice. I'll tell Roxas and Axel about you."

With that, she grabbed the plastic bag with her purchases in it and took a few steps away before pausing. Max watched in complete disbelief as she conjured a **huge swirling portal of darkness** and walked through it.

"Wha..?" He rubbed his eyes with one hand and looked down at the other.. The ball of gold was still there. "H-how? Xion?"

* * *

It was still early by the time Xion RTC'd. Every other member had already left for their missions, but none had returned. Even Saix was nowhere to be found.

_It'll be a while before the others return. _She looked down at her bag. _I've got plenty of time._

As she made her way to her room, questions swirled in her mind. Sure, she'd played video games before, but none from other worlds and certainly none with this kind of relevance. _How will the Organization members be portrayed? What role will each have? Will the events happen exactly as they have in this world? Why does Roxas get his own game? How does this game even exi-_

She was brought out of her reverie when she noticed that she was simply standing in front of her door. 'XIV' stood boldly on it's surface.

Once she was inside, she made sure to turn around and lock her door, lest another member decide to drop in on her unannounced. This was one thing that she was determined to keep a secret...for now.

Xion plopped onto her bed with her new items and proceeded to read the **entirety **of both instruction manuals before she moved to turn the DS on. After she finished setting the system up, as well as deciding on her username (KeyofXi), she started the video game up.

The title screen greeted her, nearly the same as the poster in the store earlier, along with music. She enjoyed the peaceful sounds of the newly arranged title theme although she could also detect an edge of sadness.

_ Here goes nothing, _she thought as she chose to start the game. She got comfy as the opening movie began to play.

"Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts…"


	2. Sleep (or lack thereof)

**A.N. I LIVE! I apologize for the delayed update. School has been killer and I've only been able to work on this in bits and pieces. Hopefully I'll have more time to update soon, especially when summer vacation rolls around.**

**I'm not entirely sure what happened near the end, but I think that I needed to slip some serious Rokushi fluff into the story at least once, and it happened there. The plot will certainly pick up from here. Enjoy!**

* * *

Xion wanted to contribute more to the conversation, she really did, but her mind was on other things. Specifically, her mind was busy obsessing over a certain game that she'd acquired earlier that day.

While Axel and Roxas were in the middle of teasing each other, Xion watched on, trying to seem like she was fully interested in what was happening, but her mind simply wandered. Was she really that creepy and quiet back then? Was Roxas really that zombie-like? How could they have said that the C.O. team was annihilated? From what she remembered, everyone came back and made jokes about a kid named Sora.

_Well, at least it seemed to be mostly correct about what happened._ It was true. The story told by the game so far was fairly accurate, including the parts about Roxas's coma and her seashells. She liked to think of that as a win, although a really weird and creepy one.

"Hello? Roxas to Xion. Are you awake over there?"

Roxas's voice and his hand waving in front of her face snapped Xion back to reality. He grinned and took another bite of his ice cream.

"Wha? Oh, I, uh…" she trailed off. She rubbed the back of her head as she felt a slight warmth rise through her face. Roxas seemed to have this affect on her at times. It was confusing to her, much like a lot of things.

"Yeah Xion, you've been all zoned out over there. Roxas and I thought you'd fallen asleep with your eyes open!" Axel teased. "C'mon. Eat your ice cream, tell us what's up, do something. We don't need another zombie!"

Axel's joking managed to get a laugh out of the entire group. After the chuckles died down, Xion spoke up.

"Sorry guys. I didn't sleep well last night, and Saix sent me on a mission really early this morning." She nibbled at her ice cream.

"So that's why I couldn't find you this morning." Roxas said with an oh-wow-why-didn't-i-think-of-that tone. He looked out at the horizon. "I haven't been sleeping well either. My bed is too uncomfortable..."

"Yup, our mattresses are like rocks." Axel added. "Which reminds me...I slept like a rock last night." He smiled triumphantly.

"Yeah, on a pile of rocks," Roxas grumbled.

"What's your secret Axel? How do you manage to sleep so well?" Xion inquired.

"It's really simple guys. There are things called 'extra blankets.' They miraculously make your bed softer. Got it memorized?" the Flurry of Dancing Flames replied, tapping his head.

Roxas and Xion exchanged glances.

"Why didn't we think of that?"

"We just need more blankets?"

Axel began waving his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, I know I'm a genius. You don't have to tell me."

Xion leaned over and whispered in Roxas's ear. "Our resident know-it-all."

He whispered back. "Yeah, when he actually wants to answer our questions." Both he and Xion giggled.

"Hey! What are you saying about me over there? It better not be gossip or else I'll come over there," Axel chided, pointing his now empty ice cream stick.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. Xion managed to keep her mind off of the peculiar video game and focus on the conversation at hand. The three Nobodies enjoyed the sunset in peace.

* * *

When Xion got back to her room later that evening, she was faced with writing her report. Typically, it was a tedious task, but for once she actually had quite a bit to write about.

She'd witnessed so many strange customs and inhabitants in the 'Wal-mart' that she had no shortage of things to write. The unusually insightful report ended with a sincere recommendation for more reconnaissance in the world.

_Despite the many new observations I have made, there are still countless unexplained and unobserved oddities on Earth, and further recon is a sound course of action._

Xion smiled to herself as she read over her mission report. She used an extended vocabulary in order to beef up her report's value, and it looked like it payed off. She was pleased by her finished product and quickly handed it off to Saix.

Back in her room and with nothing to do for the few hours she had before bed, Xion's mind wandered back to the game. Should she continue playing it? What happens when she reaches this point in the game? It was roughly day 200, give or take, since she joined the Organization, but she knew that she'd make it to that point in-game in no time.

After pondering for a minute, she came to her decision.

_As bad an idea that it might be, I'm continuing. I want to see Roxas's take on everything that's happened. _

She got comfortable on her bed, cracked her fingers, and prepared herself for a nice, long gaming session…

* * *

It was the next morning when Xion woke up. She groaned as she slowly rubbed her eyes and silently cursed that she had to get up.

Her back was stiff as she groggily swung her legs over the side of her bed. Sleep, or rather the lack of it, was not kind to her, and the fog in her head refused to clear. She'd stayed up late trying to get farther in her game, and now she was paying the price.

Last night's efforts had gotten her past the vacation day. She knew that the story was about to start getting good (or bad depending on your point of view), but she just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

Once again, she rubbed her eyes and tried to shake the drowsiness away. Her mind was clearer now, but she wished so much that she could lay her head back down on her pillow and drift off again. _That was such a mistake, staying up as late as I did. What if my mission is hard AND solo?_

Before she could worry any more about the day ahead, she heard a small knock on her door.

"Xion? Are you awake yet?"

She smiled slightly. _Oh good, it's Roxas. Maybe he can help me wake up._

Without a word, Xion stood and shuffled to open her door. Standing just on the other side was Roxas. He, too, looked sleep deprived and somewhat disheveled.

"Hey Roxas...What's up?" She tried and failed not to let her tiredness show. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your mission?"

"Heh, we still have over an hour before we're supposed to be awake…" he replied.

Xion looked back at her clock, finally noticing the time. "Ugh, why can't I ever get any sleep?" she whined.

Roxas scratched the back of his head before continuing. "That's actually why I'm here." He grinned a little sheepishly. "I couldn't fall back to sleep, and I remembered what you said yesterday, so I came to see if you were having trouble sleeping again."

Xion sighed. "Yeah, I was awake when you knocked on the door." She looked down at her feet. "I really wish I could get some more sleep," she grumbled.

"There's still time before missions today," Roxas replied helpfully.

"I probably couldn't sleep anyway. Remember how hard our beds are?" she said, exasperated.

Suddenly, Roxas's eyes widened, and he gasped.

"What is it?" Xion asked, quite confused.

"You just gave me a great idea! What if I bring my blankets over here, and we both try to sleep a little more? It'll make the bed much softer!" he beamed.

Xion thought for a moment before answering. "That's a terrific idea! I can't say no to more sleep."

With that, Roxas dashed off to his own room for his blankets, leaving Xion standing in her doorway, grinning. _Oh, Roxas. _She thought back to when she'd lost control of her Keyblade, a portion of the game she'd played through last night. _Always here to help._

Within minutes, the young Nobodies were snuggled on Xion's bed in a mixture of Roxas's and Xion's blankets. The extra blankets did the trick, making the bed dramatically softer and more sleep-inducing. The extra body heat generated from having another person kept the bundle pleasantly warm, further encouraging sleep.

Roxas and Xion themselves were spaced slightly apart, with neither daring to come in contact with the other (although secretly wanting to). Each felt that it would have caused an awkward situation that was not wanted this early in the morning. They did, however, enjoy each other's company.

"This is so nice," Xion observed.

Roxas nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Why don't we hear of other members doing this?"

"Probably because they're all too big to share a bed like we can."

They both laughed softly.

"Hey, Xi? Would you like to do this again sometime?" Roxas asked quietly.

Her response was swift. "Of course I would. It's sooo nice."

"Good, because I want to do it again too."

They went silent after that, trying to drift back off to sleep. As drowsiness once again invaded Xion's mind, she remembered something she wanted to ask.

"Roxas, can I ask you something?" she whispered.

No response.

Xion turned over to see that Roxas's eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. He was already asleep.

_He looks so calm when he's asleep. _She smiled softly. _It sure is nice to *yawn* have a friend like Roxas._

She closed her eyes and felt sleep slowly overtaking her. She had nearly drifted off when a pair of arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. Her eyes flew open in alarm to see that Roxas had turned over in his sleep and was now cuddling up next to her. Xion froze as he nuzzled her neck in an attempt to find a secure sleeping position. At last, Roxas laid still once more.

Xion's mind raced as heat crept up her face. _What? Why? Does he know? What do I do now? Should I wake him up?_ She quickly decided against that and chose to let him sleep, but her dilemma remained unresolved. Should she struggle out of his embrace? Should she return it?

Taking a moment to calm herself, she began to realize how soft and warm he felt. He was kind of squishy in a nice way and soft but not quite like a pillow. His hair also tickled her neck a little bit where his head lay. Maybe cuddling with Roxas wasn't so alarming after all. It was quite pleasant actually.

She made up her mind and knew what she wanted to do. With a bit of a wiggle, she managed to cuddle up just a little closer to Roxas and return his embrace.

Now that they were properly situated, both Nobodies slept soundly in each other's arms.

* * *

"I don't wanna do a mission today… Pleeeeeeaaasseee?" Demyx looked up with the most heartbreaking eyes he could manage.

"Don't be foolish Number IX," Saix said coldly. "You will have Heartless extermination today-"

Demyx flinched.

"-in Halloween Town," Saix finished with a piercing glare.

Demyx dropped to the floor defeated. "Nooooooo…."

"Quit sulking if you're going to be in the way. Other members need to get their missions," The Luna Diviner stated with as icy a tone as he could manage, not above shoving another Nobody away with his boot.

Suddenly, Demyx sprang up, full of energy. "That's it! Other members!" He then proceeded to race down the hallway as if he was a man on a mission (heh).

"Why do I even bother…" Saix sighed as he straightened the rest of his mission briefs.

* * *

"All I have to do is throw my mission onto someone else so I can goof off!" the Melodious Nocturne exclaimed as he ran towards the bedrooms. He then stopped suddenly and crossed his arms. "Hmm, now who should I ask?"

Demyx didn't have to think for long. The answer was so simple that it nearly struck him in the face. He snapped his fingers. "Roxas! Of course!"

It wasn't long before he found himself in front of Roxas's bedroom. He knew better than to walk in unannounced, so he lightly tapped at the door.

"Roxas? You awake little buddy?" Demyx asked.

No response.

He knocked harder this time. "Roxas? I need to ask you something."

Still no response.

_He must still be sleeping. _A smile crossed Demyx's face. _I'll save him from oversleeping! Then he just has to take my mission for me!_

He opened the door and stepped in, prepared to give a heroic speech. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed that the bed was empty and there was no Roxas in sight. Demyx sighed glumly as he realized that he might actually have to do work today.

_I can't believe Roxas already left on his mission. What'll I do now?_ He stood there, crestfallen, until a new thought entered his mind. _Xion! That's it!_

The Melodious Nocturne made his way over to Xion's room, sure that she would be as big of a pushover as Roxas was and take his mission. He even whistled slightly, anticipating another rewarding day of laziness.

He soon stood in front of Number XIV's bedroom, and, remembering the knock-first rule again, knocked on her door. "Xion? Are you awake?"

No response.

"Oh, don't tell me that she's already left too," Demyx whined as he got ready to open the door. He did so, and, as soon as he saw what was inside, immediately shut it again. He ran as quickly as he could back to his room before letting out the biggest "D'awwwwwwwwwwww…" he'd ever uttered.

He smiled and thought of the two cuddled up together again. "Those two make Uncle DemDem so proud…"


	3. Authors Update

**Greetings again! I am so very sorry to have left everyone hanging with this unfinished story, but I recently fell extremely hard into Attack on Titan and have been reading more on here rather than actually writing.**

**But rest assured! I am getting back into a writing mood and will be continuing this story (as well as starting a couple others). More chapters should start going up in the next few weeks. **

**Aside from that, I am very thankful for the support and interest that you have shown for this fic. It's playing no small part in my decision to get back writing.**

**Updates soon!**

**~Epicarch**


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